Keeping Up Appearances

Synopsis

Hyacinth Bucket (whose name, she insists, is pronounced "Bouquet") is a suburban housewife in the West Midlands. She would be the first to tell you that she is a gracious hostess, a respected citizen, and a well-connected member of high society. If you don't believe that, just ask her best friend Elizabeth, held captive in Hyacinth's kitchen; or the postmen and neighbours who bristle at the sound of her voice; or Richard, her weary and compliant husband. In fact, Hyacinth's reputation could be as perfect as her new lounge set, if not for her senile father's love of running wild in the nip. Oh, and she would prefer it if her brother-in-law was a sharper dresser. And that her husband was more ambitious. And that her sisters were more presentable. And do take your shoes off before you come in the house, dear. Mind that you don't brush against the wallpaper.

First Air Date: 1990-10-29

Last Air Date: 1995-11-05

Number of Seasons: 5

Number of Episodes: 40

Created By: Roy Clarke

Networks: BBC One

View Technical Specifications on IMDb

Top Cast

Patricia Routledge as Hyacinth Bucket
Clive Swift as Richard Bucket
Judy Cornwell as Daisy
Geoffrey Hughes as Onslow
Josephine Tewson as Elizabeth 'Liz' Warden
David Griffin as Emmet
Mary Millar as Rose
Jeremy Gittins as Michael the Vicar
George Webb as Daddy
Marion Barron as The Vicar's Wife

Seasons

Specials (1991) - (25 Episodes)

Season 1 (1990) - (6 Episodes)

Season 2 (1991) - (10 Episodes)

Season 3 (1992) - (7 Episodes)

Season 4 (1993) - (7 Episodes)

Season 5 (1995) - (10 Episodes)

Specials (1991)

Christmas may come but once a year, but for arch-snob Hyacinth Bucket (pronounced Bouquet, if you please), disaster, drama and humiliation – all obstacles on the ladder to social-climbing success – are far more frequent. In these Christmas Specials we see a delightful cruise on the QE2 start in a less-than-delightful muddy field. We see a glorious English Civil War pageant, with Hyacinth as Queen Henrietta Maria, go royally wrong when the cast fails to turn up and her unsavoury relatives step into the breach. And we see that even The Season of Good Will isn’t immune from woe, as a sherry-fuelled Richard, dressed as Santa, brings Hyacinth tidings devoid of any comfort and joy.

Episodes:

Ep. 1: The Father Christmas Suit (1991-12-25)

Hyacinth has bought Richard a Father Christmas outfit for him to wear when distributing gifts to the old people at the Church Hall. Against his will, Richard puts on the outfit, but after having one too many sherries with Emmett, he is unable to fulfil the deed, hence Elizabeth puts on the outfit and pretends to be Richard.
Ep. 2: Sea Fever (1993-12-26)

Hyacinth and Richard prepare for their luxury stay on the QE2. Yet traffic, a muddy field and too much luggage result in a disastrous start to a holiday that only gets much worse for Hyacinth when she has reason to believe Onslow and Daisy have stowed-away and are also onboard the luxury cruise.
Ep. 3: Angel Gabriel Blue (1994-12-25)

Hyacinth is in search for her dream kitchen while Richard has developed a fungus infection, not to his wife's approval. As a result, Hyacinth claims it is gout, a disease supposedly caught by "good living". Meanwhile Daddy has gone missing again and there is a stranger in his place
Ep. 4: Children In Need Special (1995-12-24)

Daddy has died, just when Hyacinth is expecting people for a candlelight supper, finger buffet and a first showing of her holiday slides.
Ep. 5: Historical Pageant (1995-12-25)

Hyacinth and Richard arrive at the Church hall as Hyacinth organises a Pageant based on the English Civil War, with herself as Queen Henrietta Maria and Richard as Charles I. However all of the volunteers supposedly taking part are unable to make it. At a last minute attempt to get the show off the ground, Hyacinth invites Onslow, Daisy and Rose along with Bruce and Violet to participate. Later in rehearsals however, Hyacinth falls foul of a stage accident.
Ep. 6: Mr. Blobby meets Hyacinth Bucket

A clip from Noel's House Party where Mr. Blobby pays Hyacinth and Richard a visit.
Ep. 7: The Memoirs of Hyacinth Bucket (1997-03-01)

Daisy and Onslow find the secret diary of Hyacinth and start reading in it. The rest of this TV-special are clips from prevous episodes
Ep. 8: Comedy Connections - Keeping Up Appearances (2004-07-26)

The documentary series Comedy Connections featured an episode dedicated to Keeping Up Appearances. Stars Clive Swift, Josephine Tewson, Judy Cornwell and David Griffin, along with writer Roy Clarke and producer/director Harold Snoad, all discussed the series. Clips from an interview with Patricia Routledge from 2002 were also included. The episode revealed that there were serious artistic differences between Clarke and Snoad.
Ep. 9: Life Lessons from Onslow (2007-11-30)

You'll laugh too hard to take notes when Hyacinth's beer-drinking and philosophizing brother-in-law, Onslow, gives a lecture on successful human relationships, using examples from Keeping Up Appearances.
Ep. 10: Interview with Judy Cornwell

An interview with Judy Cornwell
Ep. 11: Interview with Patricia Routledge (2007-11-30)

An interview with Patricia Routledge
Ep. 12: Pebble Mill Interview (2007-11-30)

Pebble Mill interviews Patricia Routledge and Clive Swift.
Ep. 13: The Kitty Monologues

From the character Kitty that Patricia Routledge played on Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV.
Ep. 14: Second Chance Shorts

No overview for this episode.
Ep. 15: Funny Women

No overview for this episode.
Ep. 16: Outtakes 1

No overview for this episode.
Ep. 17: Outtakes 2

No overview for this episode.
Ep. 18: Outtakes 3

No overview for this episode.
Ep. 19: Outtakes 4

No overview for this episode.
Ep. 20: Outtakes 5

No overview for this episode.
Ep. 21: Outtakes 6

No overview for this episode.
Ep. 22: Outtakes 7

No overview for this episode.
Ep. 23: The History Of

No overview for this episode.
Ep. 24: Hyacinth Revealed - Newly Recorded Interviews

No overview for this episode.
Ep. 25: Young Hyacinth (2016-09-02)

No overview for this episode.